Edge trimming apparatus for moving sheet material



y 6, 1955 A. D. SMITH 2,713,903

EDGE TRIMMING APPARATUS FOR MOVING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet '1 Fl ca. 2.

INVENTOR. A BAN MITH July 26, 1955 A. D. SMITH 2,713,903

EDGE TRIMMING APPARATUS FOR MOVING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BDEAN SMITH ymvw *K RNW July 26, 1955 A. D. SMITH 2,713,903

EDGE TRIMMING APPARATUS FOR MOVING SHEET MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 O O O INVEN TOR. i3- EAN MITH July 26, 1955 EDGE TRIMMING APPARATUS FOR- MOVING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Dec. 5, 1951 A. D. SMITH 2,713,903

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIcae.

INVEN TOR. P- EBN MITH BTTORNEY United States Patent EDGE TREE MING APPARATUS FOR MOVING SHEET MATERIAL Arthur Dean Smith, Spokane, Wash., assignor to Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application December 5, 1951, Serial No. 26%,015 7 Claims. (Cl. 164-60) This invention relates to machines for trimming the edges of sheet material. More particularly, it is concerned with providing a trimming machine for trimming the edges of a moving strip of sheet metal, wherein novel means are employed for adjusting the position of the cutters on the trimming machine with respect to the edges of the strip of sheet metal being trimmed so that predetermined, uniform widths of sheet metal material may be obtained.

In the rolling of sheet metal in a rolling mill it has been customary to simultaneously trim both of the edges of the sheet metal after it has been rolled and prior to its being coiled in order to obtain coiled stock of a predetermined, uniform width.

These trimmers also were of such a design, that they were ordinarily comprised of two pairs of overlapping rotary cutters, one pair of cutters being utilized for each side edge of the moving strip or sheet metal material being trimmed.

This edge trimming of the rolled sheet material has also taken place on a conventional mill runout table at a considerable distance from the last stand of the mill rolls and suitable guides could always be conveniently located between the last stand of the mill and the trimmer, so that the center of the strip would always be properly aligned with the two spaced pairs of rotary cutters on the trimmer.

Since most of the alignment between the center line of the strip material and the trimmer could be successfully accomplished by means of the guide members, only minor adjustments had to be made in the disposition of the cutters with respect to the moving strip material in order to obtain coiled stock of a predetermined, uniform width. The two pairs of trimmers, one for each side of the mill, consequently, were designed to be adjusted only toward and away from one another.

When the trimmer is placed very close to the mill, however, guide members cannot be conveniently located between the trimmer and the last stand of the mill, the several pairs of cutters, in addition to being adjustable toward and away from one another, also have to be provided with suitable means for making them laterally adjustable as a unit with respect to the center line the sheet, so that their position could be accurately regulated depending upon howthe sheet came fromthe milh Since the sheet as it leaves the mill rolls frequently has a camber on the head end thereof, this lateraladjustnient of the trimmer is of paramount importance.

By the novel trimmer adjusting means of the instant invention it is possible to move both pairs of cutters simult aneously and in unison to the left or .right of the center lineof the strip material almost immediately after it leaves the mill in addition to being able to move the cutters toward or away from one another.

One of the advantageslgained by employing such an adjustable trimmer resides in the fact that the strip metal material can be edge trimmed almost immediately after it leaves the mill rolls. In addition, since the strip can other.

now be edge trimmed very soon after it leaves the mill, it can also be coiled a short distance away from the trimmer, thereby eliminating the necessity of utilizing long runout tables to which guides are attached for properly lining up the moving strip material with the trimmer itself, and with a consequent savings of working space in the mill. I

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a trimming device for trimming the marginal side edges of sheet metal material having novel means for adjusting the trimming device as a whole with respect to the center line of the sheet material.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel trimming device for trimming the marginal side edges of sheet metal ma erial having common adjusting means for either moving the pairs of cutters on the trim mer toward or away from one another or for simultaneously moving the pairs of cutters in unison in the same direction to the right or left of the center line of the sheet metal material being trimmed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a trimming device having novel adjusting means including a clutch assembly for either moving the pairs of cutters on the trimmer toward or away from one another or for simultaneously moving the cutters in unison laterally and in the same direction to the left or right so that the cutters could be properly lined up with the center line of the moving strip material being trimmed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a trimming device for trimming the side edges of sheet metal material, having novel adjusting means for the cutters on the trimmer, which permit the trimmer to be located close to the last stand of rolls in a rolling mill.

Another object of this invention is to provide a trimming device having novel means for adjusting the pairs of cutters on the trimmer whereby the overall range of adjustability of the cutters is measurably increased.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a trimming machine for trimming the side edges of sheet material comprised of a base frame, a pair of spaced housings slidably mounted on the base frame and between which a length of moving'strip' material passes, each of the housings in turn being adapted to carry a pair of cooperating rotary cutters. A rotatable adjusting screw having reversely threaded end portions, each one of which is threadedly attached to a separate housing is also utilized. Upon rotation of the screw in a predetermined direction, the housings and the cutters carried thereby can be moved alternately toward and away from each A clutch assembly is also connected to this rotatable screw. This clutch assembly includes a rotatable sleeve member threadedly attached to the screw. A clutch jaw member, which is adapted to engage the sleeve member, is also utilized, this clutch jaw member being slidably and longitudinally keyed to the screw. When the clutch jaw member and the sleeve member are engaged, the jaw and sleeve members and screw can all be rotated in a predetermined direction so as to move the housings and the cutters toward or away from one another. When the clutch jaw member and sleeve memher are disengaged, rotational movement of the screw is prevented while the sleevemember is left free to rotate. At this time the rotational movement of the sleeve member, since it is threadedly engaged with the screw, will cause the lateral displacement of the screw with respect to the sleeve member. At this time also because of the connection between the screw and the housings to which the cutters are attached, lateral displacement of the screw will also cause lateral movement of the housings and all the cutters in the same direction with respect to the center line of the sheet material being trimmed. Further objects and advantages of the invention will '7 is be more fully ascertained by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein: I

Figure l is a side elevational view partially 11] sect on of the trimming device of the instant invention showing the attachment of the clutch assembly to the rotatable screw employed for adjusting the housings and cutters;

Figure 2 is a plan view of one side of the tr1mm1ng device of Figure l; r

Figure 3 is an end view of the trimming device or the instant invention, when taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the clutch assembly employed to control the operation of the rotatable screw with the clutch jaw member of the assembly being shown in a neutral or inoperative position;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along lines 8-8 of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a broken perspective view of the cooperating clutch jaw and clutch sleeve members, and

Figure 10 is an elevational sectional view of the clutch jaw member.

By referring to is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of Figures 1 and 3, it will be observed that the trimming device of the instant invention is generally comprised of a base frame 2, upon which a pair of oppositely disposed and spaced housings 3 and 3 are slidably mounted. This base frame is provided with a pair of suitably supported and elongated fiat bearing plates 4 and 5 and a pair of spaced side plates 6 and 7. A plurality of suitable reinforcing and bridging members 8 may be disposed between plates 6 and 7 and below plate 4. Various other reinforcing members (not shown) for side plates 6 and 7 may also be employed.

Dependingly attached to each of the housings 3 and 3 is a plurality of guide members 9, which are slidable between suitable guide members 10, 10', 11 and 11' attached to the upper parts of the side plates 6 and 7. The housings 3 and 3 may thus be slidably supported upon the base frame 2. A pair of cooperating rotary cutters 12 is carried by housing 3 and a similar pair of cutters 13 is carried by housing 3. The upper cutters 14 and 15 of each pair of spacer cutters are keyed in a manner well known in the art to shaft 16, while the lower cutters 17 and 18 of each pair of spaced cutters are keyed in a similar manner to shaft 19.

Each housing is advantageously provided with an elon' gated throat portion 20 adjacent the point where the two cutters of each pair of cutters overlap to trim the side edges of the roller strip metal. In this way, adequate clearance between the housings and the sheet metal material is always provided even when the head end of the strip has a camber on it, as it leaves the mill rolls and deviates sharply to the left or right of the center line of the trimmer.

Conventional adjusting assemblies 21 and 22 for adjusting each cutter in a pair of cutters vertically and laterally with respect to its cooperating cutter are also provided.

In order to provide for adjustment of the spaced housings 3 and 3 and the oppositely disposed pairs of cutters 12 and 13 with respect to one another a rotatable screw shaft is provided, this shaft being journalled in the spaced bearing members 31, 32, 33, and 34 positioned upon and affixed to the upper supporting plate 5.

This screw 30 is of the double type being threaded reversely at its opposite ends. One of these threaded portion."- engages the sleeve element 40' dependingly attached to the housing 3. The other threaded portion 41 engages a similar sleeve element 41 dependingly attached to the housing 3. Accordingly, when the screw 30 is rotated, the housings 3 and 3 will be moved toward or away from one another depending upon the direction in which the screw is rotated and it is obvious that the two pairs of cutters carried by the several housings will also be moved toward or away from one another depending in turn upon the directional movement given to the two housings 3 and 3.

All of the above described parts of the apparatus are of conventional design. However, if confined only to these elements as described, movement of the housings and the cutters carried thereby is limited, in that they are adapted to be moved only toward or away from one another. The housings and the cutters carried thereby are not adapted to be moved in unison and in the same direction and while spaced the same distance apart to the left or right of the center line of the sheet material being trimmed.

Accordingly, novel means are also provided for bringing about this latter type of adjustment of the cutters and housings in addition to the former or conventional type of adjustment. These novel means will now be described, which make it possible to place the trimmer close to the rolling mill.

By referring to Figures 1 and 4, it will be observed that in addition to threads 40 and 41, screw 30 is also provided at one of its extremities with another threaded portion 42 and a longitudinal slot or keyway 43 located closely adjacent to threaded portion 42. A clutch assembly 39 is attached to the threaded portion 42 and keyway 43 of the screw 30.

This clutch assembly 39 includes as indicated in Figures 4 and 9, a cylindrical clutch sleeve member 44, which threadedly engages the threaded portion 42 of the shaft 30. The outer periphery of this sleeve member is suitably keyed to a gear 45. Gear 45 is engaged by a worm gear 46 attached to drive shaft 47 and this latter shaft is adapted to be driven by a suitable electric motor 48 of the reversible type.

The one extremity of sleeve member 44 terminates in an annular flanged portion 50 and this annular flanged portion in turn is provided with a pair of spaced arcuate jaws 51 and 52. Sleeve 44 and gears 45 and 46 are all enclosed within a suitable housing 53.

Clutch assembly 39 also includes a cylindrical clutch jaw member 54. This jaw member is keyed to shaft 30 adjacent the sleeve 44, by means of a shaft key 55, which fits both in keyway 43 in shaft 30 and in keyway 56 located on the inner periphery of clutch jaw member 54.

Clutch jaw member 54 is also provided at each end thereof with a pair of jaws 57 and 57, 58 and 58, which are in the form of spaced arcuate segments. The intermediate portion of clutch jaw member 54 is further provided with an annular recessed portion 59 and a suitable clutch collar 59' made up of complemental halves 60 and 60' is adapted to be fitted within this recessed portion 59 and about the clutch jaw member 54. A clutch lever 61 made of complemental and joined members and 81 is then attached to the clutch collar 59'.

In order to attach the clutch collar 59 to the clutch lever 61, the complemental halves 60 and 60' of the collar are provided with projecting stubs 82 and 83,

- which fit into the openings 84 and 85 in the lever members 80 and 81 thereby locking the lever 61 to the collar 59'.

The lower part of lever 61 is also pivotally attached as indicated in Figures 4 and 6 to a set of standards 85, welded or otherwise secured to a shield member 66, which will be more fully described later. This lever 61 may be hand operated. Clutch jaw member 54, and collar member 60 are advantageously enclosed within a clutch housing 62 and clutch jaw member 54 is slidable within this housing.

Clutch housing 62 is so formed that it is provided at one end with a pair of spaced arcuate sides 63 and 64 and an open top and bottom, and at the other end with an annular hollowed out hub portion 65 formed integrally therewith and of greater radius than the sides 63 and 64. A suitable shield 66 is affixed to the hub portion 65 such as by welding and clutch housing 62 is also attached to housing 53 by means of this shield 66. A clutch locking plate or disk 67 is afiixed to the free ends of the sides 63 and 64 of clutch housing 62 by means of the bolts 64'. The center of this plate as best shown in Figures 3 and 4, is hollowed out so that suitable spaced arcuate openings 70 and 71 are formed therein.

The operation of the clutch assembly 39 and screw whereby various adjustments can be made on the cutters of the trimmer is as follows. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the clutch lever 61 is moved to the extreme left thereby moving the clutch jaw member 54 to the left the jaws 57 and 57 of the jaw member can be fitted into the arcuate openings 74 and 71 of the clutch plate 67 and become locked therein. In some instances, screw 30 will rotate a slight amount before jaws 57 and 57 engage the openings 70 and 71 and lock therein. When jaws 57 and 57 are thus engaged the rotational movement of clutch jaw member 54 is prevented. Since screw 30 is locked to clutch jaw member 54 by means of key 55, shaft 30 is also prevented from moving. Thus when the motor 48 is operated during this time and the worm gears and 46 are set in motion the clutch sleeve 44, which is not engaged with clutch jaw 54, will be rotated without turning the screw 30. This will then cause screw 30 to be displaced laterally with respect to the sleeve 44, so that both housings and the cutter assemblies carried thereby in turn will move together in unison to the right or left of the center line of the strip material being fed to the trimmer depending upon what directional movement is given to the sleeve 44. To maintain lever 61 in its set position, a suitable guide member 90 having openings 91, 92 and 93 is provided. This guide member is attached to the shield 66. Thus when the lever 61 is pushed to the left it may be locked in position by means of a suitable removable locking pin 95 thrust through opening 91 in guide 90 and the aligned opening 96 in lever 61.

When the clutch lever 61 is moved to the extreme right, jaws 57 and 57 of the clutch jaw member 54 can then become disengaged from clutch plate 67, while jaws 58 and 58 of the clutch jaw member can become engaged with the jaws 51 and 52 of the clutch sleeve 44. At this time then, when motion is imparted to the clutch sleeve 44 by means of motor 48 and gears 45 and 46, clutch jaw members 54, clutch sleeve member 44 and screw 30 will all be free to rotate and upon rotation of screw '30 the two cutter assemblies can be moved toward or away from one another depending upon the directional movement given to sleeve 44.

It will be obvious from the above discussion that the lever 61 can be locked in its extreme right position by again utilizing pin 95 and placing this pin in opening 96 of the lever and opening 93 of the guide 90. In this way the continuous engagement of clutch jaw member 54 and clutch sleeve member 44 can be insured.

When it is desirable to place the clutch jaw member 54 in an inoperative position after the trimmer cutters have been properly adjusted the lever 61 is shifted to a neutral position as indicated in Figure 4 and locked in this position by means of locking pin 95, when this pin is inserted in openings 96 of thelever 61 and openings 92 of guide member 90.

If desired, a latch member 10%) may be pivotally attached to lever 61, this latch member being adapted to engage locking pin 95 during any one of the 3 settings of the lever, so as to effectively prevent any loosening of pin 95, when the lever 61 is set at any one position.

From the above discussion it will readily be observed that in utilizing the novel clutch assembly 39, and attaching it to screw 30 it is possible to move the cutter assemblies not only toward or away from one another, but also as a unit to the right or left of the center line of the strip material being fed to the trimmer, and the range ,of adjustment for the cutters individually and as units can be increased considerably, thereby making it possible to place the trimmer very close to the rolling mill.

Although the clutch assembly 39 and the associated screw 30 have been described as particularly useful as a means for adjusting the cutter assemblies on a trimmer for cutting sheet metal material, it is obvious that they can also be employed on other types of trimmers used to trim the marginal edges of various types of strip material and its use is not necessarily confined to rolling mills.

Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described and it is obvious that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the type described for trimming the edges of strip material, the combination of a base frame, a pair of spaced housings slidably mounted on the said base frame between which said strip material passes, a pair of cooperating rotary cutters carried by each of said housings, and common means for alternately moving said housings and the cutters carried thereby toward and away from one another and for laterally adjusting said housings and the cutters carried thereby in unison with respect to the center line of the said strip material being fed to the said machine, said means including a rotatable adjusting screw having reversely threaded end portions each one of which threadedly engages a separate housing whereby upon a predetermined rotational movement of said screw said housings can be moved alternately toward and away from one another, fixed locking means, and a clutch jaw member slidably and longitudinally keyed to the said screw, and means for moving said jaw member into engagernent with said locking means to thereby lock said screw against rotational movement, and means engaging said screw and acting at the same time that the jaw is locked to cause the screw to be displaced laterally so as to cause the housing threadedly attached to the said screw and the pairs of cutters carried by said housing to be also moved in unison and in the same direction laterally with respect to the center line of said strip material.

2 In a machine of the type described for trimming the edges of strip material, the combination of a base frame, a pair of spaced housings slidably mounted on the said baseframe and between which said strip material passes, a pair of cooperating rotary cutters carried by each of saidhousings and common means for alternately moving said housings and the cutters carried thereby toward and away from one another and for laterally adjusting said housings and the cutters carried thereby in unisonwith respect to the center line of the said strip materal being fed to said machine, said means including a rotatable adjusting screw having reversely threaded end portions, each one of which threadedly engages a separate housing, a separate sleeve member also threadedly attached to said screw, means for rotating said sleeve member, whereby said sleeve and said screw may be rotated in a predetermined direction so as to move the said housings and the cutters carried thereby alternately toward and away from each other, fixed locking means, and a clutch jaw member slidably and longitudinally keyed to the said screw, lever means for moving said jaw member into engagement with said fixed locking means to thereby lock said screw against rotational movement, while at the same time permitting said screw to be displaced laterally, when said sleeve member is rotated in a predetermined direction so as to move in unison the housings threadedly attached to the ends of the screw and the pairs of cutters carried by said housings laterally and in the same direction with respect to the center line of said strip material.

3. In a strip trimming machine comprised of a base frame, a pair of spaced housings slidably mounted on said base frame and between which a length of moving strip material passes, each of said housings carrying a pair of cooperating rotary cutters for trimming the marginal edges of said strip material, a rotatable adjusting screw having reversely threaded end portions, each one of which is threadedly attached to a separate housing, whereby upon rotation of said screw in a predetermined direction said housings and the cutters carried thereby can be moved alternately toward and away from each other, the improvement which comprises a rotatable sleeve member threadedly attached to said screw, a fixed locking plate aligned with and located in spaced relationship to said sleeve member and a clutch jaw member for alternately engaging and disengaging said sleeve member and said locking plate, said clutch jaw member being slidably and longitudinally keyed to said screw, whereby upon engagement of said clutch jaw member and said sleeve member,

said jaw and sleeve members and said screw can be rotated i in a predetermined direction so as to move said housings and cutters carried thereby toward and away from one another and whereby upon disengagement of said clutch jaw member and sleeve member and engagement of said jaw member with said locking plate, said clutch jaw member and said screw will be locked against rotational movement while said sleeve member can be freely rotated so as to cause the lateral displacement of said screw and in turn movement in unison of the housings and cutters laterally and in the same direction with respect to the center line of said strip material, and common lever means for moving said jaw member alternately into and out of engagement with said sleeve member and said locking plate.

4. In a machine of the type described for trimming the edges of strip material, the combination of a base frame, a pair of spaced housings slidably mounted on the said base frame and between which said strip material passes, a pair of cooperating rotary cutters carried by each of said housings and common means for alternately moving said housings and the cutters carried thereby toward and away from one another and for laterally adjusting the said housings and the cutters carried thereby in unison with respect to the center line of the said strip material, said means including an adjusting screw having reversely threaded end portions, each one of which threadedly engages a separate housing, a clutch jaw member slidably and longitudinally keyed to the said screw, a clutch locking plate, a rotatable sleeve member threadedly attached to said screw adjacent said clutch jaw member and adapted to be alternately engaged with and disengaged from said clutch jaw member, whereby upon the shifting of said clutch jaw member in one direction said clutch jaw member will be engaged with the said sleeve member and said screw can be rotated in a predetermined direction so as to cause said housings and the cutters carried thereby to be moved alternately toward and away from one another, and whereby upon the shifting of said clutch jaw member in the opposite direction said clutch jaw member will become locked with said clutch locking plate thereby locking said screw against rotational movement so that upon rotation of said sleeve member, said screw will be laterally displaced thereby causing said housings and the pairs of cutters carried thereby to be moved laterally with respect to the center line of the moving strip material.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 including lever means for operating said clutch jaw member.

6. In a machine of the type described for trimming the edges of strip material, the combination of a base frame, a pair of spaced housings slidably mounted on said base frame, and between which said strip material is adapted to pass, a pair of cooperating rotary cutters carried by each of said housings and common means for alternately moving said housings and the cutters carried thereby toward and away from one another and for laterally adjusting the said housings and the cutters carried thereby in unison with respect to the center line of the said strip material, said means including an adjusting screw having reversely threaded end portions, each one of which threadedly engages a separate housing, a clutch jaw member slidably and longitudinally keyed to the said screw, spaced jaws on each end of the said clutch jaw member, a clutch locking plate, said locking plate having openings therein for receiving the jaws on one end of the said clutch jaw member, a rotatable sleeve member threadedly attached to the screw adjacent said clutch jaw member and adapted to be alternately engaged with and disengaged from the jaws on the opposite end of said clutch jaw member, whereby upon the shifting of said clutch jaw member in one direction said clutch jaw will be engaged with the said sleeve member and said screw can be rotated in a predetermined direction so as to cause said housings and the cutters carried thereby to be moved alternately toward and away from one another and whereby upon the shifting of said clutch jaw member in the opposite direction said clutch jaw member will become disengaged from said sleeve member and locked to said clutch locking plate, thereby locking said screw against rotational movement so that upon rotation of said sleeve member, said screw will be laterally displaced thereby causing said housings and the pairs of cutters carried thereby to be moved laterally with respect to the center line of the moving strip material.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 including lever means for operating said clutch jaw member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,024,409 Luther Apr. 23, 1912 1,678,458 Biggert July 24, 1928 1,984,040 Sieg Dec. 11, 1934 1,985,856 Evans Dec. 25, 1934 2,251,312 Yoder Aug. 5, 1941 2,500,772 Reed Mar. 14, 1950 

